Wigan St Judes 29, Leigh Miners Rangers 14: LEIGH Miners Rangers were swept off top spot in the National Conference Premier Division after wilting under a late rally by Wigan St Judes.

The Premier Division newcomers had all the answers as they fought back from being 14-6 down at half time to take the game in the final 15 minutes with a three-try burst.

With prop Lee Gardner leading the way alongside Carl Jones, Nicky Lyons, John McMullen and Darren Jones, St Judes were irresistible in the final quarter and the hard work of Miners trio Darren Pilkington, Tommy Goulden and Dave Radley eventually counted for nothing.

Penalties by Radley and McMullen in the opening 10 minutes were the only scores before Jones charged in for a 28th minute try to break the deadlock.

But instead of sending the home side in for the break with a lead, it spark a Miners onslaught that saw teenage scrum-half Tony Doyle step his way through for a Radley-goaled try before prop Dave Powlesland barged in for a second on the stroke of half time with Radley again goaling.

Shaun Hilton and Shaun Spowart gave the Wigan side more options in the second half as Dave Patterson and Darren Pilkington always threatened for the Miners.

St Judes closed the gap with a McMullen goaled try from Dave Peel six minutes into the second half. But when Gardner crashed in for a 65th minute touchdown for the lead and McMullen added a conversion and a penalty, the home side never looked back.

Spowart and Lyons delivered the killer blows with tries within a minute of each other and a Lyons field goal put the seal on a fine Judes victory.